President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, on July 9, 2026, granted presidential clemency to two opposition Members of Parliament (MPs), Mariem Mint Cheikh Dieng and Ghamou Achour Salem, who were released the same day.
In a statement announcing the clemency on July 9, the President described the decision as reflecting his commitment to the values of tolerance and clemency, and as a means of strengthening social peace, national harmony and national unity, while upholding the rule of law.
The two MPs, who are also members of the activism group Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA), were arrested at their homes on April 9 and April 10, 2026, respectively, over social media videos in which they criticised President Ghazouani. In the videos, the MPs condemned the discrimination and detention conditions faced by several activists.
Mariem Cheikh Dieng (Mariem Mint Cheikh) and Ghamou Achour Salem were arrested under Law No. 2021-021 on the Protection of National Symbols and the Criminalisation of Attacks on the Authority of the State and the Honour of the Citizen.
After spending one month in pre-trial detention, they were sentenced to four years’ imprisonment by the Criminal Division of the Nouakchott West Court of First Instance.
On July 8, 2026, the Nouakchott Court of Appeals reduced the sentences of the two MPs from four to two years in prison, while stripping them of their civil and political right s for a period of five years. President El Ghazouani’s pardon came the day after the court’s ruling.
The MFWA welcomes the release of Mariem Mint Cheikh Dieng and Ghamou Achour Salem and commends the President for the clemency granted to the opposition MPs. We further urge the government to review and reform the 2021 law on national symbols, and to ensure that criticising the president or discussing discrimination no longer leads to arrests, prosecutions, or prison sentences.
